Dear Apple,
We need to talk about your new product, the iPad.
I’ve waited patiently for the introduction of this new game-changing piece of tech. We all have. But now that it’s here, I’m afraid you have a little explaining to do.
As a devoted follower of the cult of Mac, I’ve been squirming in my shoes for months now, losing sleep over the idea of a Mac tablet. As a working web designer/ video editor, the idea of having an ultra-portable device for portfolio presentations, web design meetings, etc… made me happier than a bird with a french fry. But as things stand, I won’t be able to use this slick little beauty for anything but an oversized iPod Touch. The reasons?
- No Support for Adobe Flash: You bill this as the ultimate web-browsing experience, but without Flash, a huge portion of the internet just isn’t available. I know you need to protect your investment in the iTunes store and App Store… I mean, allowing Flash onto your platform would enable people to nicely avoid having to pay for content. Hulu, Pandora, etc… not to mention folks developing web-based apps that you’ll never get a piece of… I can almost understand that. But it also means I can’t ever access news videos, order a pizza online, or browse promotional websites for just about any form of entertainment. As a web designer, I can’t demo a site for clients if it includes any manner of Flash. Lack of Flash support is frankly, a deal-breaker. Isn’t that right Liz Lemon?
- No Connectivity: I need a little USB in my life, if not Firewire. Sure there’s some sort of adapter/dongle doo-hicky on the horizon, but would an out-of-the-box USB port have been too much? I could even maybe deal with a male 30pin to female USB cord. Let’s think about it. USB would allow doctors to connect diagnostic equipment to measure and track vital signs for patients. That right there is a massive market that you have shot right out the window.
- No Multi-Tasking: I do eight things at a time when I’m working, and when I’m surfing the web. I have two screens on my desktop at home, and regularly have video playing in one window, news in another, email, etc… That screen is big enough to have a couple windows open at the same time, and that would make cut and paste a lot more easy to use. I understand that this device is geared towards the average Joe who wants a portable media device/e-reader. But don’t leave us power-user pro-level tech nerds out in the cold.
Look, Apple, we’ve been friends for a long time. I’ve pulled so many people over to your team, I’m starting to lose count. But you’re letting me down here. I am completely willing to drop the cash on an iPad, as long as it isn’t just an over-grown iPod Touch. I mean, I already have an iPhone, and a Macbook Pro. I think I speak for most of us when I say we were looking for something a little closer to the middle of the iPhone – MacBook spectrum.
Charge me a couple hundred extra bucks for an iPad Pro. Whatever it takes to defray some of the cost of enabling Flash, adding a connector port and beefing up the specs. You know I’m still gonna buy Apps from the App Store. I’m still going to pay for 3G service, even if I don’t really need it. Of course, I am gonna watch the crap out of some Hulu, but sometimes friends have to compromise a little to keep each other happy. Right?
At the very least, give me some Flash and then we’ll talk.
Your Friend,
Ian
